1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to strength training devices, specifically to such training devices which are used for strengthening muscles and connective tissues that affect the movement of fingers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Strength training for improving the functional capacity of muscles and tendons is popular among athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery. Various types of strength training and conditioning devices and equipment are commercially available and used to strengthen and condition different parts of the body. However, very few devices are designed for the strengthening and conditioning of the muscles that control finger movement. The strengthening and conditioning of fingers has been overlooked as evidenced by the lack of any mention of such training in most textbooks on strength training. Moreover, finger strengthening and conditioning is rarely included in the strength programs of those sports that require manipulating objects with the hands, such as basketball, volleyball, shot-putting, etc. Certainly, the lack of adequate training equipment for fingers is a major reason why such training has received such little attention.
There are finger exercise devices disclosed in the prior art, but they do not provide any means for the user to employ both flexion and extension exercises of the fingers nor do the prior art devices have any means for varying the amount of resistance to finger movement. As used herein, "flexion" refers to the action of bringing fingers together and "extension" means the reverse of flexion, that is, spreading the fingers out. Some examples of the prior art are briefly described below.
Houle U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,412 discloses a handy finger exercise that is intended to be used by musicians an patients. The device allows the users to exercise their fingers by piano playing-like movement. Minimal resistance is provided. Power supply is needed in order to operate the device.
Bendix U.S. Pat No. 3,216,259 shows a portable therapeutic hand and finger exerciser. This exerciser is merely a modification of the common hand-gripper often found in stores. Resistance is given by helical springs.
Ratchford U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,849 also shows a portable hand and finger exerciser. The function of this exerciser is the same as the hand-gripper except that resistance is provided by rubber bands.
Greer U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,995 describes a pocket finger exercise board. This is also a hand-gripper type of device with limited applications.
Unger U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,200 shows a hand and finger exercise device. The device is cylindrical in shape and is designed to be grasped in the palm of a user. Two elastic flexing straps, one housing the thumb and the other the four fingers, exerts pressure on the fingers of the user when the fingers are moving away from the cylinder. The resistance depends on the elasticity of the straps.
Pasbrig U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,335 illustrates an appliance for use in finger exercise performed by pressing sliding rods that are resisted by springs.
Higami U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,858 shows a fingertip exerciser that is consisted of two rotating deformable balls. The device is suitable for the training of manual capability, not for the training of strength.
Plough U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,522 discloses a therapeutic finger exercise device that is intended to develop manual dexterity of the user. The device is a stiff wire frame for holding two non-adjacent fingers in a substantially fixed position while permitting the other fingers to exercise.
Thomas U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,243 shows a finger exercise device that does not provide resistance to finger movement. The exercise is achieved by maneuvering a captive element slidably mounted on a closed wire loop.
Bonasera U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,608 describes a finger exerciser for guitar players. Resistance is imposed on the fingers when the user's fingers are pressed onto the bar of the guitar.
Stefanski U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,729 shows a glove-like finger exercise device which has an elastic strip built around the outside of the finger pockets. The elastic strip provided resistance when the user exert force against the strip with the fingers.
The foregoing prior art finger exercise devices, though simple and portable, have definite that pertain to the exercise training of fingers. Whatever the merits, features and the advantages of the prior art devices, none of them achieves or fulfills the purposes of the finger conditioning device of the present invention.